Calibrachoa plant named ‘Ficallinliblu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calibrachoa  plant named ‘Ficallinliblu’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; purple violet to violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa sp.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FICALLINLIBLU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp. and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Ficallinliblu’.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching Calibrachoa plants with compact and uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Calibrachoa plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2005 in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unnamed proprietary selections of Calibrachoa sp., not patented. The new Calibrachoa plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Ficallinliblu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Ficallinliblu’ as a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Purple violet to violet-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the parent selections. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant habit and flower size as plants of the new Calibrachoa are more uniform and have larger flowers than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa sp. ‘Filindura Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,626. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of ‘Filindura Pink’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were more trailing than and not         as compact as plants of ‘Filindura Pink’.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and ‘Filindura Pink’ differed         in flower color as plants of ‘Filindura Pink’ had red         purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Calibrachoa plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Ficallinliblu’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late spring and early summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under commercial practices. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaging 18° C. Plants were 13 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. ‘Ficallinliblu’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Calibrachoa sp., not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Calibrachoa sp., not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five to seven days at             temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six to eight days at             temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19             days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 to 21             days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright, outwardly spreading and             uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about five             primary lateral branches per plant each with multiple             secondary lateral branches; pinching is typically not             required.         -   Plant height.—About 11 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 30 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 20 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation,             close to N137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 138B; venation, close to 138B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower form, flower arrangement and flowering             habit.—Salverform flowers arranged singly arising from leaf             axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 50 open             flowers and flower buds developing per plant; flowers face             upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 6.5             weeks after planting; flowering continuous from the spring             throughout the summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five days on the plant;             flowers persistent.         -   Flower bud.—Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Length: About             1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: Close to 149B, 59B and             N82D.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Flower throat.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length: About             1.3 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.3 cm. Petal shape:             Spatulate. Petal apex: Obtuse. Petal margin: Entire. Petal             lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Petal tube texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Petal, when             opening, upper surface: Close to N82A. Petal, when opening,             lower surface: Close to N82B. Petal, fully opened, upper             surface: Close to N87B; venation and star pattern, close to             N82A; color becoming closer to N82B with development. Petal,             fully opened, lower surface: Close to N82C. Throat: Close to             13A; venation, close to 59B. Tube: Close to 13C; venation,             close to 59B.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             fused sepals. Sepal length: About 1.2 cm. Sepal width: About             3 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly oblong. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal             base: Cuneate. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Sepal color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: About 40° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.             Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to 157D.             Anther shape: Broadly reniform. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 8B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 10A. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.             Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 6 mm. Style             color: Close to 145B. Stigma shape: Three-lobed, flattened.             Stigma color: Close to 145A. Ovary color: Close to 145B.             Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Calibrachoa. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Calibrachoa plants. 

1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘Ficallinliblu’ as illustrated and described. 